Restorative conversations are everywhere in schools right now. They’re written into behaviour policies, referenced in Ofsted language, and promoted as the gold standard for repairing harm and building accountability.

But what happens when those conversations don’t work - especially for pupils with SEND?

In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn why:

· standard restorative conversations can break down for pupils with communication difficulties, empathy differences, trauma histories or rejection sensitive dysphoria

· what restorative practice assumes about children’s skills, why some pupils struggle to access those conversations

· how to adapt your approach so it remains inclusive, fair, and effective - without lowering expectations or abandoning accountability

If you’ve ever walked away from a “restorative” conversation thinking, ”that didn’t change anything”, this episode will give you the practical strategies you’ve been missing.

Important links:

Download our FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resources

Get FREE behaviour and SEMH strategies in our FREE webinar!
Use this link to join our free webinar on Tuesday 20th January, 2026 and walk away with strategies and insights you can immediately apply to your own class. We're limited to 300 seats to book yours ASAP. Register now.

In 2026 the government is going to make big changes in how schools handle behaviour, SEMH and inclusion.

The question is: are we ready for what that actually means?

In this episode, we makes a series of predictions about where the system is heading next year - not based on politics or policy promises, but on how schools really work when money, policy and classroom reality collide.

Some of these predictions may make you uncomfortable. Others may feel uncomfortably familiar.

But if you want a grounded, experience-led perspective on what’s coming - and how to lead through it without burning out - this episode will help you see 2026 more clearly before it arrives.

Share your thoughts on these predictions (or share your own!) through Linked In or Facebook:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-currigan/

https://www.facebook.com/beaconschoolsupport

Some of the most damaging ideas about behaviour in schools don’t sound wrong.

They sound kind.

They sound scientific.

They sound progressive.

And that’s exactly why they stick.

In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, Simon Currigan unpacks four popular SEMH myths that are quietly making behaviour worse - not because people mean badly, but because good ideas have been overstretched, oversimplified, and misunderstood.

You’ll explore:

• Why children do still make choices - even when emotions run high
• The truth about trauma-informed practice (and why it doesn’t lower expectations)
• Why consequences matter even when they don’t “fix” behaviour
• Why SEMH can’t replace behaviour systems - and what happens when schools try

This isn’t about winning arguments.

It’s about clearing away the half-truths that sabotage classrooms and replacing them with thinking that actually works.

If you’re a teacher or school leader who wants calmer classrooms, fairer systems and a better understanding of what’s really going on underneath behaviour, this episode will give you clarity - not slogans.

Important links:

Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbook

Download other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resources

Headteachers and deputies: Join our in-person event in Bradford
Where you'll learn practical ways to equip your team to handle SEMH challenges with confidence - so you can move from firefighting to a calm, consistent whole-school approach. Register now.